Parent/Guardian Concurrent Enrollment Important Information

If your student is planning to take a college course during high school, there is some important information to consider. 

High school students enrolled in college courses will be treated like college students.

• Colleges must adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); colleges cannot share any information with parents/guardians about the student without the student's written consent. 

• Concurrently enrolled students must exhibit a high level of maturity, including:

  • • self-advocacy skills

    • independence

    • time management

    • responsibility and follow-through

• Course content differs from K-12 content, and your student may be exposed to sensitive topics that may be considered controversial or offensive to some. Parent/guardian permission is required for concurrent enrollment, and you are advised to research course options.

• Whether an in-person or online course, your student will be interacting with fellow students who will primarily be adults.

• The school calendar and important deadlines will be different than that of MDUSD, and the student is responsible for adhering to the school calendar dates, such as:

  • • Add/drop dates

    • First/last day of classes

    • School holidays

    • Final date to submit work

Academic Impact and Ramifications

All college coursework will earn a grade on the college transcript. These grades are part of the student's permanent college record, and disclosure is often required when applying to undergraduate and graduate programs. Community college courses are more rigorous than high school courses, and should be taken only if the student and parent/guardian feel that the student is prepared for success.

Can the college course be included on my student's MDUSD transcript? Yes, if the class is not offered at Northgate; however, all graduation requirements must be taken at Northgate. The rare exception to this is language classes we do not offer (e.g. Japanese) which can be used for credit toward the graduation requirement. 

NOTE: Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year MDUSD is piloting our concurrent enrollment credit program and will allow a maximum of four college courses to be added to the MDUSD transcript. MDUSD Dual Enrollment courses, offered in an MDUSD partnership with DVC, and courses articulated in our Course Guide (e.g. Animation) do not count toward this maximum.

If added to the MDUSD transcript, will it get +1 grade point (like an Honors or AP course)? Yes, if the course is CSU/UC transferable (this will be noted in the community college course catalog). 

Potential Financial Costs

Community College classes have no tuition cost for high school students, but there may be some costs.

• The particular college that the student enrolls with may have small term fees (e.g. "campus use fee"). 

• The course itself may require a textbook or additional novels, which the student must borrow/rent/purchase. 

• The course itself may have a materials fee, to cover the cost of materials provided by the instructor (e.g. in arts courses).

Students and families are responsible for costs.

For steps to enroll at DVC (our local community college) and some other options, please refer to the main concurrent enrollment page on our Northgate Counseling website. Reach out to your student's school counselor with any questions.